California family suing police for 'abuse of power' after son's killing

A California police officer wrongfully tasered and fatally shot a man whose parents had called police seeking help for the man’s depression, the victim’s family claimed in court.

The surviving family of the late Jorge I. Ramirez filed suit
against Stanislaus County in Central California, alleging Ramirez
was no threat to the officer during the incident. Jorge Ramirez,
the victim’s father, told the Modesto Bee he called police on
April 16, 2012 seeking help for his son’s depression but stressed
he did not tell the operator a crime or family dispute was in
progress.

Deputy Art Parra Jr. responded to the call, whereupon he
immediately asked Ramirez’s parents where their son was. The suit
claims Parra rustled Ramirez, 32, from the couch and demanded he
place his hands behind his back. When Ramirez protested,
demanding to know what was going on, Parra allegedly used his
Taser on Ramirez without warning.

When Ramirez regained his footing, Parra warned that he would
shoot him.

“At this time, and without providing any warning, Parra
withdrew his firearm from his holster and shot four bullets at
Ramirez,” the suit claims, as quoted by Courthouse News.
“Parra was approximately eight feet away at the time he fired
four shots at Ramirez, and three bullets struck
Ramirez.”

The suit does not mention Parra’s claim that Ramirez tried to
grab the deputy’s Taser during a physical struggle. The sheriff’s
department claimed Deputy Parra was responding to a family fight,
although the senior Ramirez has maintained that Parra was overly
aggressive.

“He wouldn’t listen to us,” he told the KCRA, the local
NBC affiliate. “He told us to get away. He summoned other
officers – and another officer went in there and pointed a gun at
my wife and I for no reason. Absolutely no reason.This is very
unjust.”

When the case first made headlines Ramirez said the family only
wanted help for their son, who had threatened suicide, and that
Parra’s actions were an “abuse of power.” District
Attorney Birgit Fladager told the Modesto Bee Wednesday that her
office completed an investigation and concluded that Parra was
guilty of no wrongdoing. The officer has been placed on
administrative leave, per department policy.

The federal suit seeks an unspecified amount of compensatory,
special, and punitive damages.